decisions decisions

[Fishkiller]

OK so I need to get those specialties, five or more.. All I know is that altitude and boat are for sure, but what others are the helpful to the general diver??? I mean navigation, deep, U/W hunter, search and recovery, multilevel, sharp poke in the eye, U/W naturalist,DPV,Dry suit,night diver, wreck,,,help

 

[Tavi]

Fishkiller,

Me too. I'm starting with the ones that will help me the most, then the ones I want.So what I'm doing first is Computer (I got one, so knowing how best to dive with it is important),Navigation (finding my way back to the boat underwater is better than a long surface swim),Deep(something I want to check out but also seems to be a part of most agancies advanced coarse),and Night and Limited Vis (I want to check out night diving, and near home we have much lower vis than the caribean where all of my diving has been so far).Later I'll take Equipment,Boat,and Underwater Photography.
I'm also Taking the Nitrox coarse (longer bottom times, shorter surface intervals).
so I chose mine by deciding which ones will help me to be a better diver in the kind of diving I'll be doing.

Hope this helps, Tavi

 

[Walter]

Why 5 or more? A more reasonable approach is what do you need to learn? If that comes out to 5 or more, so be it, if not, why get more? I'm guessing you want to be a "Master Diver." If you become a "Master Diver" because you have meaningless specialties, then the "Master Diver" is also meaningless.

Boat diver? Give me a break. If you can't dive from a boat you aren't a diver. This is one of the most ridiculous specialties ever conceived.

Altitude is necessary if you plan to be participating in this type of diving.

Nitrox is necessary if you are interested in using EAN.

Computer diving should be adequately covered in your OW class.

Navigation, Night, Limited Visibility and Deep should be adequately covered in any Advanced course worthy of the title. Additionally, Search and Recovery should be covered to the extent (including dives) most divers will ever need it. If you plan to rig large objects or search large areas, you will need more training than can be covered in the Advanced class. If your advanced class doesn't cover this material, I'd suggest looking for a better advanced class.

If your desire is truly to be a "Master Diver" you may consider taking a Master Diver course from one of the agencies that actually "teach" a course, instead of 5 patches gets you a 6th. That way your certification will not be meaningless.

WWW™

 

[Tavi]

Walter,
I don't know who Fishkiller is certified with.
I am certified with SSI. SSI's advanced coarse "IS" 4 specialty coarses,(you choose which ones you want) and a total of 24 logged dives.This way advancement is based on experience,not just coarses and more $. So I chose the coarses that can help me the most with the kind of diving I plan on doing.

Tavi:tree:

 

[Fishkiller]

That is why I'm asking

the Altitude is because there are a few lakes above 7000ft that I want to dive, and can only be reached by the give me boat cert... that is the give me your cert and I'll give you a boat.

The navigation yes long surface swim bad
The NiTrox Good

I'm PADI, not that I want Master scuba diver, I want further knowledge in the skills that I will need. that were skimmed over in the OW class.

 

[The Chairman]

Hey Fishkiller & all,

The PADI (Put Another Dollar In) approach to additional certification is NOT without merits. I feel that if you pursue them for WHATEVER reason, then you have made yourself a better diver, and have probably helped to make sure that I or some other Dive Master will not have to pull your butt out of the suds. As far as I am concerned there are no meaningless advanced certs and there are no stupid questions. All of these certs get you out in the water WITH additional training and additional critiques from a competent trainer and their Dive Masters.

As for what I usually recommend... Navigation (THE most important), Multilevel, Nitrox, Deep, and Night. I would also reccomend that after you have completed the AOW, that you get your butt over to a Rescue Diver class as soon as you have the other pre-requisites done for it. Nothing will instill in you more confidence AND humility than a properly done Rescue Diver course. Just my opinion and your mileage may vary...

Pete from Orlando...

 

[Hocky]

Hi

I concur with NetDoc, Rescue is one of the best learning courses that you will ever do. It instills a level of confidence in you as a diver that actually takes you to another level. Do your Adv and get yourself to rescue, you'll be amazed at the difference it makes.

On the specialties? I also aggree with NetDoc...Nitrox, Navigation, Deep and Night are all important. At some stage in your life you'll do a dive where you'll be faced with either zero vis or near zero vis, and if you don't know how to Navigate your in deep trouble.

Hocky

"Lifes a beach, and then you dive"

 

[Fishkiller]

After having a nice dive and a long chat I'veome to realization that I have taken teh wrong approach to diving.

It was put to me like this.

So you want to become a good diver you must ask yourself where WILL you dive and what do you want to do while you dive?

it's not that I want certs but it should be what can those cert classes teach me. the fundimentals should be NAVIGATION , DEEP , NIGHT then with the lakes here above 1500ft ALTITUDE, and NITROX with those skills a diver should have a enjoyable dive. all the rest should come with experience.

thank you for your replies

 

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by Fishkiller
...So you want to become a good diver you must ask yourself where WILL you dive and what do you want to do while you dive? it's not that I want certs but it should be what can those cert classes teach me. ...

Bang on! It is (IMHO)that extra knowledge that will make you a safe diver, and one that I think could count as good buddy. When diving you are not always diving with those you know. If you arrive at site, and are paired up with someone you don't know, how do you know that theyknow what they're supposed to. Rely on their say-so? Not after many of the discussions on this board! I need to see proof thank you very much. Dives doing the type of dive you're about to go on and/or training. .... sorry a little ranting, but it reminded me of a real clown I ended up with last year.

Courses. Take the courses that will benefit you the most. If you plan to dive at altitude, get that training. It's a different set of tables. Same goes for Nitrox. Navigation is a great one, so is night.

As others have said RESCUE. It will not help you, but give you the extra confidence to help others. Another along that line is the DAN o2/Oxygen Provider course. This gives you that extra training to set up and provide the various oxygen equipment.

 

[Heads Up]

Originally posted by NetDoc
The PADI (Put Another Dollar In) approach to additional certification is NOT without merits

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find this type of snobbishness EXTREMELY offensive. We are ALL divers for Christ's sake, despite the different agencies we use. A good (safe) diver is not a direct result of the agency used, but is a result of the wishes and desires of the individual concerned. Like many others, my first introduction to diving was via PADI and I have great respect both for the staff I have been fortunate enough to encounter, and with the organisation as a whole.

Its extremely easy (but somewhat unhelpful and purile) to LABEL other organisations - personally I prefer to judge as I find.

This is NOT the way to promote our diving community in a positive manner IMHO.

Rant over!